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104-10106-10188] “ | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT

JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |

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Cg aE REPRODUCE
SUBJECT: Sam Jaffe _ eEtRe TO CHA

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1. Sam Jaffe's relationship with the Agency predates his assignment

_ to Moscow as an ABC correspondent. During the period 1958-60 while in New
York Jaffe was a confidential informant of the FBI on his Soviet contacts
in New York. In addition, he had several meetings with the New York office
of CIA's Domestic Contact Division. While in Moscow with ABC Jaffe felt he’

_was the subject of a recruitment attempt by the KGB in 1962. We recounted
his story to the Regional Security Officer at the American Embassy in Moscow, ~~
copies of which went to both CIA and FBI. Jaffe covered the Gary Powers'
trial for ABC and flew on the same plane from New York to Moscow with the

Barbara Powers’ party. Prior to that trip he was briefed by a CIA psychologist
on ways to observe Powers's behavior and demeanor. Jaffe was never "ordered" -
to caver the Powers’ trial, but simply acted as an enterprising newspaperman ~
befriending Barbara Powers while her party was enroute and in the Soviet Union.
. > 22 During the latter part of his time in Moscow Jaffe was in contact -: .°
_ with a KGB officer, Kuvkov, and this relationship is a matter of record with °..
the FBI. There is some evidence that Jaffe was given preferential treatment
- by the Soviet authorities. Somé western pressmen felt that Jaffe, as an
aggressive newspaperman, was giving a little to get a story. Jaffe has Dy
given his version of his dealings with the KGB in a lengthy 1969 interview Joe
with the FBI. - Se CS
_...- | °3. The defector Nosenko pravided information on Jaffe's relationship
DBP SARI: to the KGB in 1964. However as time went on, further debriefings of Nosenko -
indicated that Nosenko was, not as sure about Jaffe's relationship as he had :
been originally. By 1968 Nosenko was positive only that Kuvkov had been in =.
touch with daffe, but Nosenko was not certain that Jaffe was a paid and
witting agent of the KGB... 2-70 Bg!
7 4. During Jaffe's taur in‘Hong Kong, and subsequently in Washington, - -_./
he was in touch with CIA officers. He provided good information on alcrinese 24 .
news officialland he was-helpful to the Agency_in reporting on a (Canadtan]|| -~..
‘ organization {The Committee of New China Policy} AN official} contact with
Jaffe ended in 1971. © \ oS ORF
: 5. Central to Jaffe's charges about CIA, which he has made public many
times, is Jaffe's belief that the CIA passed derogatory information about
him to his employers. Attached is a 24 November 1975 letter from Mr. Colby
to Jaffe which states categorically that no information in the CIA files had
ever been passed outside of official channels. In addition to this letter ©
daffe has been reassured on this point verbally on at least four other
occasions.. The CIA is positive that Jaffe's recall from Hong Kong in 1968

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° and subsequent dismissal by ABC, are not related to any action taken by the
CIA., mo, :

had with Mr.| Ted Cowen, a British ‘intelligence official] in Hong Kong. Ob/O¥
According to: affe, [Cowen] told him that he had a "security problem" but 06

this problem would clear up in due course. A close check of our files can

not ellucidate what Cowen |was talking about. It is possible, of course, ot

that (Cowen was alluding to the Nosenko allegations as|the Britishjwere go 1
given much} of the Nosenko debriefings. The record is unclear on this )
point.. However, based on information available to this Agency, we feel we

have tried to pacify Jaffe with the statement contained in the Colby letter
that we have no evidence he has. evar been an agent of any foreign intelligence
service. ae ;

+ 6. In [ted coven with Jaffe he frequently recounts a conversation he

7. Jaffe has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to CIA
which has resulted in the release of a large number of documents to him.
Jaffe can, of course, appeal our withholding of certain documents through
appropriate administrative and judicial procedures under the FOIA.

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